The Death of Fraggle Rock
by Negaduck
Summary: Fraggle Rock is threatened by the world of the Silly Creatures. Can Fraggle Rock save their home?
1. Things That Go Blomp in the Night

**The Death of Fraggle Rock  
Part 1: Things That Go Blomp in The Night  
**by Kim McFarland

* * *

Poncle struggled in Red's hands. "No! NO!"

Red had been diving with her daughter all day, and _now_ she decided to balk? She set the little brown-and-blonde Fraggle down on her feet. "What's the matter?"

"You go!" Poncle commanded, pointing at the pool.

The kid was up to something. She usually was. Red jumped in with a satisfactory but not spectacular splash—she wasn't on the clock at the moment—then surfaced and shook the water out of her face.

"Mama! Catch me!" Poncle cried.

Without waiting for confirmation Poncle leapt. Red dodged back so Poncle wouldn't land on her head, and let the water do most of the catching. After the initial splash she grabbed Poncle up and threw her into the air. The Fragling kicked and squealed with glee before smacking face-down into the water.

Mokey was sitting back, doodling in her diary. The picture had begun as a sketch of the swimming hole with a few Fraggles in it, and had expanded to include all of the Great Hall. Wembley was watching, his tail wagging slowly and peacefully. Sometimes it seemed that whole sections of the picture appeared suddenly, as if by magic. When that happened he knew he had dozed off. Which was okay; it was a fine day to be lazy.

Gobo was with Mokey and Wembley, partly watching the rumpus in the swimming hole and partly just sitting back and enjoying his family's company. Wembley's tail stilled, and when Gobo looked at his friend's face his eyes were closed. Mischievously Gobo positioned himself so he was almost nose to nose with Wembley, careful not to touch him and wake him up. Then he waited.

Wembley's eyelids soon fluttered. When he saw Gobo staring at him at point-blank range he squawked with surprise, bumping Gobo's nose. Gobo laughed. "Still having trouble sleeping at night, Wembley?"

"Nah, not any longer," Wembley said.

Mokey paused in her drawing and asked, "Have you been sleeping badly?"

"Well, I was for a little while. I kept hearing weird sounds."

"What kind of sounds?" Mokey asked.

"Well, first something like cracking rocks. _SPACK!_ And then a slurping water noise, _blomp blomp blomp blomp_. The water sounds go on and on."

Mokey asked Gobo, "Have you heard it too?"

He shook his head. "Not me. Wembley's got the best ears in the rock. He can hear stuff that the rest of us can't. Like water in rocks."

"What do you think it is?" she asked.

Wembley shrugged. "I don't know. It sounds far away, deep down, so I guess it's got nothing to do with us. And it's been going on for days, so I'm used to it. It still wakes me up, but I go right back to sleep again."

* * *

In his kitchen, Boober was making soup. The water had come to a boil, and he was about to scrape a load of chopped vegetables from the cutting board into the pot when he stopped and sniffed. Something didn't smell right. Was it the wood in the stove? He opened the door, and the smoke seemed to be normal. With the pot lid he fanned the steam toward his face, and, yes, there was a strange quality to it. He didn't like it, and he wouldn't permit it in his food. He put on a pair of mitts and carefully lifted the large pot off the stove. He carried it to a blind tunnel that led to a crack leading both up and down into darkness, and poured the water out.

Then he carried the pot through the Great Hall and to the source of the stream that fed the swimming hole. He set the pot under a ledge and watched the water flow into it.

Was it his imagination, or was it...kind of fizzy?

Nah, he thought, it was just turbulence making the water look bubbly. He let the pot fill, then carried it to the kitchen and set it on the stove. The water looked all right. He stirred it. It still fizzed a little, but it didn't smell like Whoopie Water. He got a little with a wooden spoon, and was about to taste it when a drop fell onto the oven top and splattered the burner below the pot. Orange flame puffed out. Boober yelped and jumped back, shocked.

The flame died out in moments. Unable to believe what he had seen, Boober scooped some more water—gingerly, with the spoon held out at arm's length—and then flicked it onto the stovetop. This time he saw the flame burst from the water itself. When it burned out, the water was left.

* * *

_"Out of the swimming hole! Everybody out of the water! **Now!"**_

Everybody turned to stare at Boober, who had run into the Great Hall in a panic. Red, who was treading water, said, "What's your problem, Boober?"

"Get out of there! Hurry! Hand Poncle to me! How do you feel?" He held out his arms insistently.

He was really freaking out. She lifted Poncle up to him. He was examining the little girl when Red climbed out. "What's the big fuss? We were having a good time!"

"The water's contaminated!" he shouted. "Dry yourself off! And don't go in the kitchen!"

Gobo joined them. "Contaminated? Are you sure? It seems fine to me."

Boober stared at him. Then he looked at Red. He didn't have time to debate the issue with them. "Wait here."

He went back to the kitchen. When he returned he had a coal from the oven in a pair of tongs. He said, "Stand back!" Then, with all the Fraggles watching, he tossed the coal into the swimming hole. Instead of disappearing beneath the surface with a hiss and a wisp of steam, it ignited the water.

Fraggles screamed as the surface of the water erupted into flame. The fire lasted for only a few seconds, but that was enough to terrify them. Boober said, _"Now_ do you believe me?"

Gobo, the first to recover, asked, "How long has it been contaminated?"

"I don't know! I just found out myself! Does anyone feel sick? Throat tickly? Eyes itchy? Stomach ache?" He looked at Red and Poncle, who were dripping wet and horrified.

"I'm fine. How about you?" Red asked Poncle anxiously.

Poncle said, "I'm fine!"

"It must have just happened. Otherwise Boober would have noticed it sooner," Wembley said.

Mokey spoke. "We can't live without water!"

Gobo said, "Maybe there's clean water somewhere else. There are streams and springs all over the Rock. Boober, get some empty jars. We'll get samples."

"Yes!" Boober said, relieved that Gobo was taking charge.

* * *

Boober gathered an armload of empty jars from the kitchen and pantry. Gobo gave them out to the Fraggles he sent to take water samples from sources they had trusted in the past. Meanwhile, Red was toweling herself off as fast as she could, and Wembley was drying Poncle.

Sage, who had only caught the end of the panic, asked Boober, "What happened to the water?"

The others were listening for his answer too. He said, "Something has gotten into the water and fouled it."

"How?" Poncle wanted to know.

Boober shook his head. "I don't know. This has only happened once before."

Gobo, Boober, Red, Wembley, and Mokey exchanged glances. This was a frightening tale, one they had never told in full to their children because it was too terrifying. But now they needed to know, so they would understand the danger they were in and stay out of the water. Gobo said, "You know the story best, Boober."

Mokey patted her lap. "Come here, Sage."

Sage sat on her mother's lap. Mokey put her arms around her as if to protect her. Gobo held Poncle. Boober began, "Many many many days ago, when we were young and you hadn't been born yet, the water became contaminated. The Silly Creatures in Outer space, who didn't know we lived down here, began putting poisons in the earth. Those poisons got into the water and made us very sick. As sick as the worst flu you've ever had. If we swam or drank water, we drank more of the poison and got sicker."

"No swimming?" Poncle asked, wide-eyed.

Boober said, "There was no clean water for swimming or even to drink for a while. I didn't get sick because I didn't swim in the water, and I could smell it so I didn't drink it. It even hurt the Gorgs. And the radishes they watered with it turned yellow and died."

Sage asked, "How did the water get clean again?"

Boober said, "I went up to where the Silly Creature lived and begged him to stop poisoning us. I gave him back Gobo's postcards because I thought he was angry that we'd been taking them. And he made them wash the poison away with clean water."

Wembley put in, "This was before we met Doc. He wasn't the one who poisoned us, but he did make them stop it. Doc would _never_ hurt us!"

Now Sage was glad she was in her mother's lap, enfolded by her mother's arms. Poncle looked frightened. She said, "I don't want the water to poison me!"

Red told her, "Don't worry. We won't let anything happen to you." Words alone could not reassure a little Fraggle, so she and Gobo hugged their daughter between themselves.

Boober said, "That's right. We'll all keep you safe." He glanced over to Mokey. She beckoned to him. He joined her and Sage in a comforting three-way embrace.

Nobody was holding Wembley. He sat alone, feeling very small and worried, and wondered if the thing he had heard in the night was poisoning the water.


	2. Watership Fraggles

**The Death of Fraggle Rock  
Part 2: Watership Fraggles  
**by Kim McFarland

* * *

Soon Fraggles were returning with jars full of water. Boober looked them over carefully, one at a time. He would open one and sniff it. Then he would taste a tiny bit, and finally he would try to set fire to it. Some passed the test and were declared clean. But others were judged foul.

Gobo watched the tests, and marked the results on his map of Fraggle Rock. Bad water was marked with a slash; clean water with a circle. When it was all done he said to Boober and all the other anxious Fraggles gathered around, "We still have clean water. But it's all from higher sources. The water on our level and lower is contaminated. The lowest streams are the worst."

"The sounds I heard deep down," Wembley murmured. "I should have said something. I'm sorry!"

Mokey patted his back. "You couldn't have known."

Red looked over the map. "Those circles are all little springs and drinking holes. There's nowhere to swim!"

"Nowhere to swim?" Poncle echoed, eyes wide.

Gobo told her, "It'll be okay. Look, lots of these drinking holes are sweetwater."

"Can we get some?" Poncle asked.

"Yeah! Let's go," Red said, and went off, hand-in-hand with Poncle.

When they were out of earshot Gobo said grimly to Boober, "No swimming, and just enough drinking water. This doesn't look good."

Boober murmured, "Not even enough water for laundry."

Sage nodded unhappily.

Wembley asked, "Isn't there anything we can do?"

Boober looked around at Gobo, Wembley, Sage, and Mokey. Then he said, "I hope so," and left.

* * *

Boober trudged alone up the tunnel that led to Outer Space. The closer to the end he got the more he shrank into himself. He did not want to be up here all alone! Outer Space was no place for Fraggles!

But, he told himself, neither was a poisoned cave. He had to do this. The Fraggles couldn't save themselves. There was only one person who might be able to avert disaster.

He was cringing by the time he saw the light at the tunnel's end. It was a strange, unnatural color, cold and slightly bluish, unlike the warm gold of the sun in the Gorgs' garden. He gulped and inched forward until his nose was almost sticking out. "Hello?" he whined.

He heard a loud barking, and screamed and flung himself back. Sprocket stuck his head into the hole and panted excitedly. Boober whimpered, "Can I come out?"

Sprocket nodded and backed out of the hole. Boober, a tight ball of nervousness, forced himself to leave the safety of the tunnels and brave the Hairy Monster, which smeared him with an affectionate lick. Boober wiped frantically at his face with his scarf to scrape the germs away.

Doc appeared in a doorway. "Boober Fraggle?"

Boober looked up at the giant towering over him. "Yes," he whimpered.

Boober was the one Fraggle who had never really warmed to Doc. Doc understood that he wasn't unfriendly, just skittish. If he had come here alone, it must be for an important reason. He sat on the floor—Sprocket lay down beside him and rested his head on Doc's leg—and said, "What brings you here, Boober?"

Boober took his hat off his head and fiddled nervously with it. "It's...it's our water. It's not clean any more. We need clean water to live." He looked up and pleaded, "Please help us."

Doc looked grave. "I think I know what's happened, Boober. And this time it's not as simple as it was before, when I could simply tell them to flush away the waste with water."

"You know what's happening?"

"I think so. It's been in the news lately. Boober, we need fuel—oil—for our homes, our cars, our lights, almost everything. We get that fuel from various places. Sometimes they drill deep down into the earth to get it."

The noises Wembley heard! "But what could they want down there? There's only rock."

"Just a minute." Doc got up again and searched through a pile of magazines, then sat back down again and opened one on the floor so Boober could see. There was a diagram showing rock strata, with colored lines leading from the surface down, and horizontal lines across the bottom. Doc traced the lines with his finger as he explained. "They want the oil inside the rock. To get it, they drill a long tunnel through the rock, then force water into it. That cracks the rock and lets the oil out. It's called hydraulic fracturing, 'fracking' for short. It extracts oil that we otherwise couldn't get to...but oil, gases, and chemicals can leak through the cracks into the surrounding areas, and even into the ground water."

"Is that's what's happening to us?"

"I'm afraid so," Doc said.

"Why do they do it?"

Gravely Doc said, "Because that's where the oil is. Sometimes they don't realize the damage they do."

Boober turned pages. Text, photos—then he turned a page and saw water coming from a faucet. The water was burning. "That's it! Our water burned too!" Boober cried. "Please, please help us! I know it's not your fault, you'd never do this to us!"

Regretfully Doc said, "I'm sorry, Boober, but it's not on my land. I have no control over it. The people who do this, they have legal permits—permission—from the government and the people who own the land."

"But...Fraggle Rock is our _home!_ Couldn't you tell them we're here and they're poisoning our water? They would stop if they knew, wouldn't they?"

Doc paused, looking at Boober. He didn't think there was much hope, but he couldn't bear to tell him that. And it would be wrong to do nothing when his friends needed him most. "I'll try, Boober. I'll try."

"Thank you! Thank you!" Boober exclaimed.

"I'll need your help. Just a minute."

Boober waited while Doc rummaged around in this workshop. He found a clear container with a metal lid and handed it to Boober. "Bring me a sample of contaminated water. We'll need it to prove to them that the water's polluted."

Boober scampered for the safety of the caves. Doc thought for a moment, then got out a phone book.

* * *

Boober hurried back down the tunnels to his home, hugging the jar to his chest. When he reached the Great Hall he found the rest of his family there. He told them, "Doc is going to help us. He gave me this."

Wembley exclaimed, "Wow, that's great!"

Red looked skeptically at the jar. "What's _that_ gonna do?"

"I'm going fill it with contaminated water so he can show it to the people who are fracking the water. Then they'll stop."

Sage said, "Papa, look at these."

She had three jars of water. He sniffed each one. He didn't need to taste them, the odor was enough. "These are contaminated."

"They were clean this morning," she said grimly.

"It's getting worse," Mokey murmured.

"Are people still drinking from these?"

"No," Gobo said. "We've put up warnings everywhere it's not safe. And they're marked on my map."

Boober looked at the map. There weren't many safe spots left. He poured one of the samples into Doc's jar and hurried off again, saying "I've got to get this to Doc!"

Wembley said, "The Gorgs need the water too. We've gotta warn them."

Red said, "What good'll that do? They'll just get mad at us like it's our fault."

"I'm sure they'll listen to reason," Mokey said.

"Well, I guess it's only fair to warn them," Gobo said.

* * *

Mokey and Wembley went up the tunnel to the Gorgs' garden. Wembley started to lose his nerve halfway there. The Gorgs were their friends, more or less—Junior more and his Ma and Pa less—and how could they fail to warn them that the water from the well was poisoned? But doing so would make them the obvious target for the Gorgs' ire. He took Mokey's hand. As long as she was going to warn them, he could come along with her, and if he was following her lead he wouldn't wemble.

They came to the surface and found Junior hanging a bucket under the pump spout. As he began working the pump Wembley and Mokey both ran toward him, shouting at him to stop. Startled, he looked down at them. "What's wrong, Fwaggles?"

Wembley cried, "The water is poisoned! It just happened. Don't drink it or you'll get sick."

"Weally?" He scooped out a handful from the bucket and sampled it, then spat it out. "Yuck!"

Mokey told him, "It's the Silly Creatures again. They didn't know we live here when they did whatever they did. We're going to tell them we are so they'll stop."

"What'll I do without water, though? I need to water my wadishes now!" He paused. "Wait, the wiver! Maybe that'll be clean!" He turned and tromped off.

Mokey said, "I hope it is," softly.

"Boober said that last time this happened even the water in the river up here went bad. It hurt their skin."

She pointed out, "But they're up higher than the highest clean drinking pools. It can't have reached this far yet."

"Yet," Wembley echoed worriedly.


	3. Down in Frackle Rock

**The Death of Fraggle Rock  
Part 3: "Down in Frackle Rock"  
**by Kim McFarland

* * *

Boober and Gobo hustled back up to Doc's apartment. Boober was carrying the jar of pollution as carefully as he could at arm's length. He was afraid of the substance in his hands, afraid of what it stood for: the thoughtless, careless destruction of their home. It didn't feel like an accident to him, it felt like an attack.

Gobo said, "Why don't you let me carry that, eh?"

"No. I can do this," Boober said.

"Okay."

Gobo was ready to catch the jar in case Boober dropped it when Sprocket barked, but Boober was so focused that he barely flinched. Gobo called, "Doc! We've got the water!"

Doc came around the table and sat on the floor. Boober handed him the jar, then wiped his hands frantically on his scarf. Doc held the jar up so the sunlight shone through it. The water was clear—but there was something that didn't look quite right. He could see oily-looking distortions in the fluid. "I see. You can't drink that! It's a good thing you have some clean water."

"Less and less," Gobo told him. "The lower drinking pools are turning bad one by one."

"I've tested my own water, and it's clean," Doc told them. "I'll share my water with you."

"You will? Thanks!" Gobo exclaimed.

"It's the least I could do." Doc brought out some gallon jugs. They had once held milk; now they were full of water. He said, "Those are the only bottles I have on hand at the moment. I'll refill those, and if you bring yours up I'll fill them too." It would drive up his water bill a bit, of course, but that meant nothing against the lives of his Fraggle friends.

"Wait a minute." Boober laid his hand on the cap of one of the jugs. "May I?"

"Of course." Boober removed the cap and sniffed the water, then stuck a finger in and licked it. He considered, then said, "It's clean. A little bland, perhaps."

Doc said, "That's not all. I've gotten them to schedule a hearing. We can go and tell them what they have been doing to the environment."

"And then they'll stop!" Gobo said.

"I hope they will," Doc said. "It would help if one of you came with me."

Gobo froze. "One of us? Talk with Silly Creatures?"

Doc told him, "I know that sounds frightening. But when they actually see you, see the people who live in the caves that are being contaminated, they will _have_ to face what they are doing. You can't look people in the eyes and tell them it doesn't matter that they're suffering."

Gobo said, "I understand, Doc. I'll go."

"No. I should go," Boober said.

"Boober?!"

The small Fraggle said, "I don't want to. It scares me more than anything. But, Gobo, Fraggle Rock needs a leader now. They need you. And me—I'll do anything to convince the Silly Creatures to stop. If it takes begging and groveling, I'm the Fraggle for the job."

Softly Gobo said, "Are you sure?"

"Yes." Boober's resolute manner was spoiled by an involuntary whimper.

Gobo hugged Boober. As he squeezed tight he whispered, "You'll do great."

Boober didn't know what to say. He hugged back and nodded, his head on Gobo's shoulder.

* * *

Soon Doc was driving to the town hall. Sprocket rode in the front passenger seat, head out the window, ears and tongue flapping in the wind. Boober huddled in the footwell of the back seat, simultaneously fighting back motion sickness and generalized panic.

The ride was mercifully short. However, at the other end was outer Outer Space, where distance went on forever, no sheltering rock or nice safe friendly caves. This was where Traveling Matt did his exploring. How did he stand it? As Doc snapped the leash onto Sprocket's collar Boober peered out the car door, trying to get up the nerve to step out.

Sprocket noticed Boober's fright. Fraggles could be strange and skittish. He had an idea, and barked to get Boober's attention, then crouched down in front of him, his side to Boober, wagging his tail.

Doc watched, not sure what Sprocket was trying to get across with his posing and beckoning nods, but Boober did after a minute. He slid out of the car and onto Sprocket's back. He didn't relish being so close to a Hairy Monster and the associated germs, but right now he needed any comfort he could get. At least Sprocket was friendly and familiar.

Boober held on for dear life, his knees gripping Sprocket's sides and his arms around his neck, as Doc led them into a structure that was something like a cross between a Doozer construction and a cave. Doc started to pass through a gateway that was made of pipes. An alarm sounded, frightening Boober. Doc searched through his pockets and, with a look of mild surprise, took out several metal contraptions he had been working on and put them in a basket on the side. Then he and Sprocket went through. This time the alarm did not sound.

A Silly Creature gave Doc back his inventions and handed him a pair of name tags. Doc pinned one on the lapel of his jacket and attached the other to Sprocket's collar. Then they continued into the building.

Boober buried his face in Sprocket's fur, shutting out the oppressive strangeness surrounding him, peeking out only occasionally. Once he looked up when Sprocket stopped moving. A hand with long, pink claws descended toward him. Boober whimpered and cringed. But the hand only patted Sprocket on the head. Sprocket panted happily and leaned into the touch. Then the hand went away, leaving Boober unmolested.

They went through some tunnels, past more Silly Creatures, some of which exchanged friendly greetings with Doc and petted Sprocket. None of them bothered Boober. He must look like an animal to them, he realized. It was a good thing they didn't touch him too. He wouldn't have been able to handle that.

They entered a room. Some Silly Creatures were sitting at a table. Doc said, "Thank you for agreeing to meet with me, gentlemen." He claimed a seat at the table, then pulled out the one beside it and looked at Boober. Boober took this to mean that he should go there. He climbed off Sprocket's back and stood in the chair; if he sat he would not be able to see over the table. By this point he was so far past being afraid he felt as though he had approached courage from the other side.

"You told us you have something important to bring up with us about the hydraulic fracture mines," one said.

"Yes." Doc put the jar of water on the table. "They have been contaminating the local water. This is a sample taken just today."

One of the Silly Creatures took the jar and glanced at it. "Where did this come from? The water in this area is piped in from the lake, which is not near the mines."

"This came from underground. There are people living in the caves underneath us, and the fracking has put them in danger by polluting their water."

All of the Silly Creatures looked surprised. One said, "Jerome, I know you have a sense of humor, but if you want to make your case you will have to give us _facts."_

Doc's temper was starting to rise, but he kept his voice steady. "I understand. Here is the first fact." He gestured at Boober. "Tell them what's been happening."

Boober gulped, drymouthed, then gathered his nerve and began in a tiny voice, "Well...please...I'm Boober Fraggle, one of the little creatures that lives in the caves underneath here. Our water has been contaminated, and I'm afraid it'll poison us. It started in the lower streams, but it's been getting higher and higher. If we don't have clean water, we'll die." He realized he was staring at the shiny surface of the table. He made himself look up again, to meet the eyes of the Silly Creatures. He ought to be kneeling, he thought, but then they wouldn't see him over the table. "We Fraggles are small, and we live in caves, but we're still people like you. We work, and play, and raise our families...I have children..." Voice cracking, he said, "Please stop poisoning our water."

In a low voice Doc said, "Well, gentlemen?"

"We're waiting," one replied.

Startled, he said, "Weren't you listening?"

"To what?"

_"Gentlemen,_ I brought one of the Fraggles that live in the caves here as a witness! He's the one who brought me the water sample."

Boober waved nervously. "Hello?"

"Mr. Crystal, I see an empty seat. We will test this sample, but as for your imaginary friend, I'm afraid we need more tangible evidence."

_"Imaginary?"_ Doc and Boober said together. Sprocket barked indignantly.

"There is nothing living in the underground caves. We researched that very thoroughly before we approved the mining."

Doc and Boober stared at each other. Then Doc lifted Boober—Boober squawked with alarm—and set him on his feet on the table. "Are you saying you can't see this Fraggle standing right here before you?" Boober quickly got to his knees and clasped his hands, ready to renew his plea.

"That's exactly what we're saying."

Doc said to Boober, "I didn't see Gobo until he touched me. Go ahead, touch one of them."

Boober opened his mouth to protest—then shut it again, seeing no other way. He scrambled forward on his knees, then very gingerly laid his small blue hand on top of the hand of the man in front of himself. "Hello? Can you see me now?" When he did not meet Boober's eyes Boober patted the hand. "I'm touching you." He still did not react. Boober begged, _"Please_ listen to me!"

"Mr. Crystal, have you made your point?"

Holding in his temper, Doc said, "We've said all there is to say. Come on, Boober."

As he lifted Boober down again there was a chuckle from the other side of the table. _"Boober?"_

"Don't laugh, that's his name. It's not a joke where he comes from." He straightened up, then said, "You have the water sample. That is what the fracking is doing to the groundwater, which all the animals and plants here depend on. If you truly care about the environment, you will do something about it." He turned and left. Sprocket sniffed disdainfully at them, then followed him out.

As they went back out of the building Boober thought, that's why they touched Sprocket but ignored me. We Fraggles aren't real to them. They don't want us to be real, because then we would be in the way. They would have to face what they are doing to us.

By the time they reached the car Doc's anger had faded. "Boober, I'm so sorry. I thought they would have to listen to you. I didn't realize they wouldn't even see you."

"We did everything we could," Boober said unhappily. "Maybe they'll test the water and see how bad it is. At least the water isn't invisible. Then they'll stop, won't they?"

"Maybe," Doc said. But he did not hold much hope. If they were so sure that the caves were uninhabited, they could also tell themselves that contamination wasn't caused by the fracking. They might say that Doc made it himself, just as they believed he had invented an imaginary Fraggle friend with a silly name.


	4. So Long, and Thanks for All the Radishes

**The Death of Fraggle Rock  
Part 4: "So Long, and Thanks for All the Radishes"  
**by Kim McFarland

* * *

Boober slouched home. He felt sick. And when he approached the Great Hall he realized that the air didn't smell quite right.

When he arrived at the Great Hall Sage exclaimed, "Papa!" and ran over to him for a hug. Boober's arms went around Sage in a gesture more protective than affectionate.

Gobo asked, "Well, what happened? You talked to them, eh?"

All the Fraggles in the Hall were looking at Boober hopefully. He said, "I begged them to stop. I told them that we're people like them, and if they poison our water we'll die. But they didn't see or hear me, even when I touched them. They don't believe they're hurting anyone."

"Didn't you show them the water?" Red exclaimed.

"Doc gave it to them. But they don't want to stop fracking." He looked around at his family, at the Fraggles he had known all his life. "And even if they stopped it now...the damage is done. There's more of the nasty stuff that's contaminating our water, and it'll keep seeping out because they've cracked the stone around it and pumped it in. And it's getting into our air too. We're breathing it in."

That set off a panic among the Fraggles. Some held their breath. Mokey said, "We can't live without water and air!"

Sadly Wembley said, "There's only one thing we can do. We have to go somewhere where the water's clean."

"Yeah." Gobo looked around at all the Fraggles freaking out. They had held it together when the last of the sweetwater springs went bad, thanks to the water that Doc supplied. But they couldn't survive on that! He went over to the Fraggle Horn and blew a mighty blast.

Fraggles froze in mid-panic. Gobo stepped on a high stone and said, "The water here isn't good any longer. We've got to find someplace where it's safe!"  
"You mean, leave Fraggle Rock?" a Fraggle asked.

"Yeah! I'll hate going too, but we'll find a new place and make a _new_ Fraggle Rock!"

"Where'll we go?"

"Manny's Land of Carpets?"

"Bubba's Burger Barn!"

"No!" Gobo shouted. "We'll find a new, clean Fraggle cave, not some Silly Creature place. But we have to do it _now_, while we're still strong and healthy! If we wait we'll get sick then we'll never make it. So, everyone, pack your stuff and meet back here! Only what you can carry, and only what you _need."_

"Hey, what about us?" said a voice from by the wall.

Gobo looked over and saw a small crowd of Doozers on foot and in their vehicles. "You too. You need water as much as we do, I'll bet."

"Our machinery is water powered! We've had breakdowns because the water's dirty!" Cotterpin shouted.

"Right. You get ready and meet here with the rest of us," Gobo told them. "And, everyone, fill your canteens, gourds, and anything else that'll hold water! We don't know when we'll find clean water again!"

* * *

Boober went home. He looked around at all the stuff he had. Laundry tubs, baskets, scrub board, clotheslines...cooking tools...his home remedies. He would have to leave nearly everything behind. He thought for a moment, then made a decision. They could survive dirty, but they must stay healthy. He took a big cookpot, checked to make sure it was clean, then began filling it with his remedies and medicines, the most important ones first.

It took very little time to fill the pot. He lifted it and decided he could carry it strapped to his back. Then he looked around his home one last time. He went over to his laundry tub and scrub board and, stroking them fondly, whispered "Goodbye. I'll never forget the good times we had."

* * *

Red, Mokey, and Poncle went to their room. Red had barbells and paper chains and trophies and tons of other stuff. She didn't want to leave any of it! But she pictured herself carrying a trophy on a long migration, and realized that that would be even stupider than Boober hoarding a perfect blue rollie. She picked up a bunch of canteens.

Poncle declared, "I don't want to go away!"

"None of us do. But we gotta."

Poncle said more loudly, _"No!"_

Red said, "Too bad. It's gonna be like a camping trip. I thought you liked those."

"Camping?"

"Yeah, exploring new caves. Nights by a campfire. With everybody, like a big party! But if you don't want to..."

"I like camping," Poncle conceded grudgingly.

"You'd be a big help." She looked over at Mokey, who had been strangely quiet during the conversation. She seemed to be zoned out. "Hey, why aren't you packing?"

"I don't need to. I'm only bringing one thing."

"Really?" Mokey had paintings and paints and all sorts of "perfect objects" in her half of the room. "What're you taking?"

"Lanford, of course."

"Of course," Red said, rolling her eyes.

"What about you? I'd think you'd at least take a barbell or two."

"Nah. Water's heavy, so I'll get plenty of exercise carrying these canteens."

"Still...I can't believe we're leaving." Lanford made sad noises, and Mokey went over to stroke his leaves.

Watching Mokey comfort her plant, Red felt her eyes sting. "Oh, come on! Cut it out! I was doing all right until you started! Come on!"

"Red?" Mokey turned to see her best friend in tears. "Oh, Red!" She opened her arrns, and Red came over for a hug. So did Poncle. Lanford nuzzled Red's cheek.

* * *

Gobo knew what he would take: his maps, his guitar, and Uncle Matt's postcards. The maps would guide him as far as they extended, the guitar would ease the way, and the postcards would remind him that an explorer never gives up, no matter what hardships he faces.

Wembley had a small bundle on a stick, which was balanced on one shoulder. Gobo said, "I know you don't have a lot, but is your spare banana tree shirt all you're taking?"

"I've got my jammies too."

"Still, that's not much."

Wembley shrugged. "They're the only things I have to take with me. All I _really_ need is you, Red, Mokey, Boober, Sage, and Poncle. All the rest is, well, just stuff."

"Aw, Wembley," Gobo said, touched.

"If we're together, we'll be all right. Won't we?"

"Of course we will. I promise."

"Thanks. Oh, I better bring this too." He picked up a canteen.

"Yeah. Let's go fill ours up."

* * *

They went up to Doc's apartment. There were several milk jugs and buckets filled with water at the hole. Doc said, "What's happening? Dozens of Fraggles have come to get water. Many I've never seen before."

"It's bad," Gobo told him. "We have hardly any drinkable water left, and the way things have been going soon there won't be any. We're going to find a new home."

Sprocket, lying in his basket, raised his head. Shocked, Doc said, "You're leaving Fraggle Rock?"

Sadly Gobo said, "We have to." He held up a hand. Doc leaned down and touched it. "Doc...thanks. Thanks for everything."

"I only wish I could have done more. Will I see you again?"

Gobo quoted, "'You can not leave the magic.' When we find a new home, maybe another tunnel will open. It did when you moved."

"I hope so."

Sprocket nuzzled Gobo gently and whined. Gobo and Wembley both scratched his head. "Good Hairy Monster. I'll miss ya," Wembley said.

They both filled their canteens. Gobo and Wembley picked up a milk jug—that was as much as they could carry—and said "Goodbye."

"Goodbye," Doc said helplessly as the Fraggles disappeared back into the tunnel.

* * *

Everybody was gathered in the Great Hall, even Doozers in their vehicles. It was a good thing they had those, Gobo thought, because otherwise they'd be hard put to keep up on those tiny legs of theirs. But could they handle the rough terrain out there?

Gobo looked around. Boober had a cookpot with some twine wound around it, ready to carry it on his back. Sage had a sack full of medicines and seeds. Red had a big bunch of canteens, and judging from the condensation on them they were full. Mokey had Lanford's pot. Poncle had the miniature camping gear that Mokey and Gobo had made for her not long ago.

Coming back from Doc's apartment, Gobo could smell the foulness in the air. It got worse the closer he got to the swimming hole. The water was really dirty now. Fraggle Rock was no longer liveable. Home was no longer home.

Well, no point in hanging around. It'd just give people time to get more upset. He climbed up on a rock and called out, "Does everyone have fresh water in their canteens? _Fresh_ water, not from the pond!"

The Fraggles all nodded and murmured, and a few held up their canteens as proof. Gobo said, "Good. Let's move out."

Red picked up the water jug. It was heavy, but manageable for someone who pumped granite every day. Poncle piped up, "Me too!"

Red said, "Okay, kid, help me by carrying this," and handed her a full canteen. Poncle hung the strap around her neck, proud to be doing something important.

Gobo and Red started walking out of the Great Hall. Their family followed them, and then the other Fraggles who were nearest. Eventually the entire colony was stretched out in a line leading through the tunnels. Fraggles walked several across when space permitted; at pinch points they went single file. When Doozer vehicles got stuck, Fraggles picked them up and carried them past the obstacles.

At least they were calm, Gobo thought. They knew this was their only hope. He turned his guitar around front, thinking a song might lift people's spirits. He began,

"Every day the world begins again,

Sunny skies or rain,

Come and follow me..."

Other Fraggles joined in, but they sang in a minor key.

* * *

Gobo led them through long, strange passages and unknown caves to a large, open cavern. The walls were bare rock, with hardly anything growing on them. It was dry and silent, without even the sound of water dripping from stalactite to stalagmite. By now it was evening, and everyone was tired. He called out, "We'll stop here and continue on tomorrow."

"What is this place?" Wembley asked.

"Yeah, what a rotten spot," Red griped as she put down the heavy jug of water.

Gobo unrolled his map. "This is the start of the Great Outer Barrens. It's not pretty here, but it's safe. The one thing we need is a safe spot to rest."

"The outer barrens? Why the outer barrens?" Boober asked worriedly.

Gobo had been prepared for the question. "Because they go on and on. We may have to travel a long way to find clean water. Right now, the worst thing we could do would be to trap ourselves in a dead end."

* * *

The Fraggles were tired enough from their long hike that they settled down around campfires with a minimum of fuss. The Doozers parked their vehicles in a ring and made their camp inside that. Many Fraggles refilled their canteens from Red's water jug, and it also replenished the Doozers' water supply. The jug would be much less of a burden tomorrow, Red knew. That was not a good thought.

After everyone else in the family had gone to sleep, Red stole away from the camp. She couldn't bear never to see Fraggle Rock again. Even if it was only to take one last look at the polluted swimming hole, she had to go back for a proper goodbye.

Stealthily, careful to make no noise, she crept back along the tunnel they had taken. Gobo hadn't blazed the trail, but there was no need for that; she could follow the prints of dozens of Fraggle feet. But only for a little ways. The trail led to a dead end.

She looked around, shocked. She must have taken a wrong turn! But, no, they had come straight here. There had been no twists in the tunnel this close. They _had_ come this way. And now the path was gone.

* * *

It was getting on to evening, and Junior wondered how the Fraggles were doing, what with the bad water they had told him about. He looked down the well, and saw only its stone walls descending into darkness. That was strange; he could usually look down the well and see some Fraggles. He glanced over at Kissing Rock. The base looked different somehow. After a minute he realized that the passage that the Fraggles came out of was nowhere to be seen.

* * *

It was evening, and the water jugs Doc had set out for the Fraggles hadn't been touched in hours. Doc wondered, could the Fraggles really be gone? Could the magic have left after all?

Suddenly Sprocket started barking. Doc exclaimed, "What is it, Sprocket? Is it a Fraggle?"

Sprocket answered with a mournful howl. Doc looked at the wall behind the water jugs. It was blank, as if the Fraggle hole had never existed.

* * *

Red returned to the camp, lay down, and closed her eyes. She wasn't going to tell them about this. What good would it do? Home was really gone now. It had been taken away from them by the Silly Creatures, and she didn't understand how or why they would do this to them. Her fists curled up in helpless anger. Tears squeezed from between her eyelids.

* * *

Wembley dreamt. He dreamt of the sounds he had been hearing in the night. Now the sounds were louder. The sharp _SPAKKRUNCH_ of rock breaking, followed by the _BLOMP BLOMP BLOMP_ of water rushing. He awoke, and the water sounds did not fade. He put his ear to the ground. It was coming from right below them!

The rock-breaking sound came again, and this time he felt a tiny tremor in the ground under his ear. It was followed by a different sound, _glit glort bleeble durp_, and it wasn't coming from below. He sat up and looked around. There, in the rock floor, was a tiny crack. A tiny squirt of liquid came from it, and a moment later, a bad smell, like the contaminated swimming hole, but worse!

Heart hammering, he shook Gobo in his bedroll. Gobo's eyes fluttered open and he murmured, "What?"

"Gobo! Water—sounds—crack! Under—BANG—"

When Wembley got panicky he lost the ability to line words up so they made sense. Fortunately he knew the cure for that. While Wembley gibbered Gobo shook Red's shoulder and said, "Red, give me a hand here!"

She groaned. She had just finally gotten to sleep! But she got up, and she and Gobo each took one of Wembley's feet. They turned him upside-down and shook him to shock him back into making sense.

The shaking went on and on, and the world turned vague and confusing. He twisted around—he was on the ground now, and his arms were caught in something. He struggled vainly against his bindings. His eyes opened, and he saw a window.

"Bad dream?"

Janken stayed still for a few moments while his mind cleared. He had been dreaming. He let out a breath and said, "Yeah," as he untangled his arms from the bedsheets.

"What about?"

"Remember that _National Geographic_ article I told you about?"

"The one that bothered you so much?"

"Yeah. I said it was nightmare fodder."

Scooter remembered how much that article had disturbed Janken. He put his arms around the Fraggle and drew him closer. His heart was still beating hard. Scooter said, "It was just a dream."

Janken snuggled into Scooter's embrace and rested his head on his shoulder. Whether you are an adult or a child, cuddling is the best antidote for nightmares. "Yeah," he said.

Scooter stroked Janken's hair gently with his free hand. After a few quiet minutes together Janken relaxed. "I'm okay now. Thanks."

"Any time." Scooter rescued his arm. It sounded romantic to sleep in someone's arms, but waking up with an arm that felt like a slab of dead meat is not much fun.

They settled back in to go to sleep. Before he dropped off Janken murmured, "Tomorrow I'm gonna call Doc. Just to check in."

"You do that."

"Yeah." He closed his eyes.

* * *

All Fraggles except Scooter, Janken, Sage, and Poncle are © The Jim Henson Company, LLC. Scooter is copyright © The Muppets Studio, LLC. All copyrighted characters are used without permission but with much respect and affection. Janken, Sage, and Poncle Fraggle and the overall story are copyright © Kim McFarland (negaduck9 at aol dot com). Permission is given by the author to copy it for personal use only.


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